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The cave binghamton4/11/2023 ![]() ![]() The route through the cave is roughly a mile long with a 1/4-mile boat ride at the mid-point of the tour. Elevators drop you off in a concrete room 156 feet below the surface. Once inside the cave, guides offer a bit more introduction inside a concrete-lined room that was added to the cave when the elevators where constructed. I especially enjoyed seeing where we were headed, but I do wish that I’d been able to reexamine the map after returning from the tour.Īfter this introduction, groups are lead to the elevator for the short ride down into the cave. There’s also a great map that shows various points of interest along the tour route. The introduction to Howe Caverns is done in front of this map. This introduction is imaginatively done with audio by a reenacted version of Lester Howe and even some cartoons on a television screen. Tours last roughly 80-90 minutes and start with a brief introduction to the history of the cave while you are still above ground. In fact, if you are driving along the highway, you can see the large sign made of rocks on the hillside advertising the caverns. Today, tours still start from a visitor center 156 feet above the cavern floor atop a hill a short distance from I-88 in Central New York. In May 1929, the cave was reopened to the public and has been open for tours ever since. They also installed electric lights and even pathways through the cave to make access easier for visitors. They created a new entrance to the cave that was accessed by elevators that descended over 150 feet into the ground. In 1927, the cavern was sold to two New Yorkers who planned to reopen the cave for tours. It was the country’s third commercial cave operation.ĭue to declining interest and financial troubles, Howe Caverns was sold in the late 1860s, and in 1898, tours of the cavern were stopped in favor of industrial limestone mining. Howe quickly recognized it’s potential for development, and, in 1843, began operating eight-hour tours of the caverns. He and his friend Henry Wetsel, who owned the property, began exploring the cave. After investigating, he found a small cave entrance. Howe was a local farmer that noticed that, on hot days, his cows would all congregate near a clump of bushes. Howe Caverns was discovered in May 1842 by Lester Howe. Located in Central New York, Howe Caverns is actually said to be the second most visited natural attraction in New York after Niagara Falls, drawing more visitors than other incredible spots like High Falls Gorge, Taughannock Falls, and Panama Rocks. New York is home to some incredible caves, and Howe Caverns in Schoharie County is among the best. We will make a small commission from these links if you order something at no additional cost to you. Disclosure: This article may contain affiliate links. ![]()
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